What If
by AlyLuvsYou
Summary: What if Dimitri...didn't make it to Rose in time when she was attacked by Natalie? What if...he got there too late and Rose breathed her last breath? For now. Go through what both Dimitri and Rose feel as she takes her last breath. Dimitri could have done one hundred things differently, but he knew he may already be too late to fix it all. Three-Shot. R&R Sequel: "What Now?"
1. Chapter 1

**What if Dimitri didn't make it to Rose in time when she was attacked by Natalie? What if he got there too late and Rose breathed her last breath? For now. Go through what both Dimitri and Rose feel as she takes her last breath. Dimitri could have done one hundred things differently, but he knew he may already be too late to fix it all.**

**So far, it's a one-shot. But I might change my mind depending on how smoothly things go with how you guys like it. I'm really going to depend on you to determine this short story's fate. No pressure. (:**

**Anyway, this is called **_**"What If".**_** The beginning parts comes directly from the end of the first book, so if anything looks familiar, that's why. I changed a few things and put my own words in. By time it gets to Natalie attacking Rose, it's mostly mine.**

**Well, I hope you all enjoy. **

_**What If…**_

**Rose POV**

Four days. It's been four days since I've so much as seen Dimitri since Lissa's kidnapping ordeal. His avoidance was annoying as well as very…hurtful. I wanted so bad to talk to him about what had happened that night, but I couldn't when he avoided me at every turn – cue the annoyance.

Finally, I ran into him at the gym. I came back for a gym bag and froze when I saw him, unable to speak. He started to walk past then stopped.

"Rose…" he began after several uncomfortable moments. "You need to report what happened. With us."

I'd been waiting a long time to talk with him, but this wasn't the conversation I had imagined. "I can't do that. They'll fire you. Or worse." I thought about it for a moment. "If you want them to know then it'd be your word, not mine."

"They should fire me. What I did was wrong."

"You couldn't help it. It was the spell…"

"It doesn't matter. It was wrong. And stupid."

Wrong? Stupid? I bit my lip and quickly tried to regain my composure. At the rate this talk was going I'd much rather he just punch me in the face. "Look, it's not a big deal."

"It is a big deal! I took advantage of you."

"No," I said evenly. "You didn't." I was hoping he'd pick up the hint that it wasn't just me that felt it – I know he did too.

There must have been something telling in my voice because he met my eyes with deep and serious intensity. "Rose, I'm seven years older than you. In ten years, that wouldn't mean so much, but for now, it's huge. I'm an adult. You're a child."

Ouch. I physically flinched, though I'm not sure he cared. The look on his face said it all. It would have been easier if he'd just punched me.

"You didn't seem to think I was a child when you were all over me."

Now he flinched. "Just because your body…well, that doesn't make you an adult. I've been out in the world. I've been on my own. I've killed, Rose – people, not animals. And you…you're just starting out. Your life is about homework, and chores and dances."

"You think that's all I care about?"

"No, not entirely. But it's all a part of your world. You're still growing up and figuring out who you are and what's important. You need to keep doing that. You need to be with boys your own age."

I didn't want boy my own age. I didn't say that. I didn't say anything.

"Even if you won't tell, you need to understand that _it was a mistake_. And it's never going to happen again," he added. "It only happened because of the spell, do you understand?"

The message – the rejection – came through loud and clear. Everything from that moment, everything that I believed so beautiful and full of meaning, turned to dust before my eyes.

Humiliated and angry, I refused to make a fool out of myself by arguing of begging. I just shrugged. "Yeah. Understood.

Taking advantage of the new found freedom Kirova granted for "good behavior", I made my way to where Victor was being held before school the next day. The Academy had honesty-to-goodness cell, complete with bars, and two guardians stood watch in the hallway nearby. It took a bit of finagling on my part to get them to let me talk to him. Even Natalie wasn't allowed in. But one of the Guardians had ridden with me in the SUV and watched me undergo Lissa's torture. I told them I needed to ask Victor about what he'd done to Lissa. It was a lie but the guardians bought it and felt sorry for me. They allowed me five minutes to speak and backed up a discrete distance down the hall where they could see but not hear.

Standing outside Victor's cell, I couldn't believe I'd felt sorry for him. Seeing his new and healthy body enraged me. He sat cross-legged on a narrow bed, reading. When he read me approach, he looked up.

"Why Rose, what a nice surprise. Your ingenuity never fails to surprise me I didn't think they'd allow me any visitors."

I crossed my arms, trying to put on a look of total guardian fierceness. "I want you to break the spell. Finish it off."

"What do you mean?"

"The spell you did on me and Dimitri."

"The spell is done. It burned itself out."

I shook my head. "No. I keep thinking about him. I keep wanting to…"

He smiled knowingly when I didn't finish. "My dear, that was already there, long before I set that up."

"I wasn't like this. Not this bad."

"Maybe no consciously. But everything else…the attraction – physical and mental – was already in you. And in him. It wouldn't have worked otherwise."

"You're lying. He said he didn't feel that way about me."

"He's lying. I tell you, the spell wouldn't have worked otherwise, and honestly, he should have known better. He had no right to let himself feel that way. You can be forgiven for a schoolgirl's crush. But him? He should have demonstrated more control in hiding his feelings."

"You're a sick bastard, doing that to me and him. And to Lissa."

"I have no regrets about what I did with her," he declared, leaning against the wall. "You've been kissed by the shadows. You've crossed into Death, into the other side, and returned. That's why you are so reckless in the things you do. You don't hold back your feels, your passion, your anger. It makes you remarkable. It makes you dangerous."

I didn't know what to say to that. I was speechless, which he seemed to like.

"It's what crated your bond, too. Most people can't pick up on what she's feeling unless she's actually directing her thoughts toward them with compulsion. You, however, have a mind sensitive to extrasensory forces – hers in particular." He eyed me. "Do you think Menneth is the only Moroi who follows me? The greatest and most powerful revolutions often start very quietly, hidden in the shadows. Remember that."

Odd sounds came from the detention center's entrance, and I glanced toward where I came in. The guardians who had let me in were gone. From around the corner, I heard a few grunts and thumps. I frowned and craned my head to get a better look.

Victor stood up. "Finally."

Fear spiked down my spine – at least until I saw Natalie round the corner. There was an unusual purpose in her movement that some part of me whispered wasn't right. She walked right up to me and – no exaggeration – launched me against the far wall. My body hit it hard, and black starbursts danced across my vision.

"What…?" I put a hand on my forehead and tried to get up.

Unconcerned about me now, Natalie unlocked Victor's cage with a set of keys I'd seen on one of the guardian's belts. I staggered to my feet, and that's when I saw it. The faint ring of red around her pupils. Skin too pale, even for a Moroi. Blood smudged on her mouth. And the most telling of all, the look in her eyes. A look so cold and so evil my heart nearly came to a standstill.

Natalie had turned Strigoi.

In spite of all the training I've received, all the lessons on Strigoi habits and how to defend against them, I'd never ever actually seen one. It was scarier than I'd expected. Feeling useless, I simply backed down the hall as she advanced on me, her movements far more graceful than they'd ever been in life.

Then, also faster than she'd ever moved in life, she leapt out, grabbed me, and slammed my head against the wall. Pain exploded in my skull, and I felt pretty sure that was blood I tasted in the back of my mouth. Frantically, I fought against her, trying to mount some kind of defense, but it was like fighting Dimitri on crack.

"My dear," murmured Victor, "try not to kill her if you don't have to. We might e able to use her later."

Natalie paused in her attack, giving me a moment to back up, but she never took her eyes off me. "I'll _try_ not to."

"I can't believe you!" I yelled at him. "You got your own daughter to turn Strigoi?"

"A last resort. A necessary sacrifice made for the greater good. Natalie understands." He left.

"My father's a great man," she said. "He's going to save the Moroi from the Strigoi."

"Are you insane?" I asked. I was backing up again and suddenly hit the wall. MY nails dug into it, as though I could dig my way through. "You _are_ a Strigoi."

She shrugged, almost seeming like the old Natalie. "One Strigoi to save all the Moroi. It's worth it, worth giving up the sun and the magic."

"But you'll want to kill Moroi! You won't be able to help it."

"He'll help me stay in control. If not, then they'll have to kill me." She reached out and grabbed my shoulders, and I shuddered at how casually she talked about her own death. It was almost as casual as the way she was no doubt contemplating my death.

She threw me into the wall again, and as my body collapsed in a heap on the floor, I had a feeling I wouldn't be getting up this time. Victor had told her not to kill me…but there was that look in her eyes, a look that she wanted to. She wanted to feed from me; the hunger was there. It was the Strigoi way. I shouldn't have talked to her, I realized. I'd hesitate, just like Dimitri said I would.

I had pictured this differently than what I was experiencing now. I thought – hoped, prayed – that Dimitri himself would come down the hall and save me, just like the knight in shining armor would for the damsel in distress. If you ask me, I'm not damsel, but it was quite a distress.

Suddenly, she advanced on me again, gabbing me by the front of my shirt and hoisting me over her head and into the cell door, the same cell Victor was in. I hit the bars with a sickening thud. I will say that at this point in time, I wondered why she didn't just snap my neck and get it over with. Most strigoi would have done that and moved on. I also realized that young Strigoi – meaning they had just been turned and hadn't had 'experience' in their new body – tended to get over confident and…play with their first meal.

Standing over me yet again, Natalie pressed her bare foot on my arm. I realized what she was going to do, but didn't get a chance to stop her. With the smallest turn of her ankle, her Strigoi strength was all she needed to snap my shoulder out of place. I let a horrible scream of agony escape my lips, but it hardly sounded like me at all. I never experienced the pain of the accidents I've been in because Lissa was always there to heal me, and Natalie knew this. Now, she wasn't here and Natalie wanted me to feel the pain I should have felt several times over. To feel the pain she probably felt when he forced her to change.

She kept beating on me, gripping hard around my neck to punch me in the gut. I'm pretty sure I heard a few ribs crack in the process. She continued to push me around the cell, letting me stumble for a second before picking me back up to hit me some more.

Feeling as though I wasn't hurting enough, Natalie pulled me to my feet again, this time by a chunk of my already knotted hair. The dead weight of my pained body made the pull hurt that much more. I yelped and flung my good hand to hers, trying and failing to loosen her grip.

"You will be the first obstacle to remove from my father's rode to peace," she spat, a sickening smile on her face. Her red tinted eyes showed anger and rage, all of which I expected from a Strigoi, but not from Natalie. _She's not who she used to be_, I had to remind myself. _She will never be that sweet, shy girl that wondered the halls and that was Lissa's roommate._

He mouth grew closer and closer to my neck, making me squirm both in anticipation and fear. "You know, I never believed the rumors about Lissa drinking from you while you were among the humans. But now I see why she did." I could feel the point of her fangs on my neck. "Now I would like nothing more than to drain that beautiful fluid from you pathetic body."

Then, before I could let the scream that was built up in my throat go, her fangs plunged deep into the jugular in my neck. Though the scream was halted, a moan of pleasure erupted from my throat. I mentally slapped myself. I wasn't supposed to enjoy this. _This is wrong!_ _Come on, Rose. Fight it!_ But it was too much, the pure bliss was…intoxicating.

I felt darkness creep into my vision. I started to feel so weak I eventually slumped into the wall Natalie had me pinned against, my whole body going limp. I didn't feel the pleasure of the bite, or the pain from what I can assume is a concussion, a few broken ribs and a dislocated shoulder. There was nothing but that thick darkness…

**Dimitri POV**

"It only happened because of the spell, do you understand?" That one sentence alone felt like I was driving my own stake into my heart.

I could see the rejection and putter pain in her face as she just shrugged and said, "Yeah. Understood."

It was all lies, everything I said to her. Well, apart from the fact that it was wrong and should be reported. But I felt something, not just in the heat of the moment. Her soft skin under my rough, calloused hand felt amazing and I knew I'd never find anything to match how her body felt pressed against mine.

But she could never know any of that. I decided that was my punishment for acting like an animal to the most beautiful girl – no, _woman_ – I'd ever seen, to act to dishonorably without cause. My punishment was to keep myself distant. To keep on eye on her, and the other on Lissa, but without her knowing.

I spent that night tossing and turning in my bed. For some reason I couldn't sleep knowing she completed everything that had to do with my life, including the empty spot perfect for her on my bed.

I pulled myself from the sheets and hit the gym. I stretched, ran a few dozen miles around the track, did cool-down stretched, lifted weights, hit the punching bags, more cool-down stretches… Nothing could get me to stop thinking about her, and that wasn't going to be a real problem when I needed to be at Lissa's guard during the school day.

I eventually showered back at my apartment, not daring enough to run the water too hot. I dressed in my usual attire – guardian uniform of dress shirt, black pants and my duster jacket. I went to breakfast, took over watch for the princess. She had asked if I'd seen Rose lately. I couldn't lie to her, so I presumed 'lately' meant within the last couple hours and said no.

I too thought it was weird that Rose wouldn't be with Lissa all day. Normally she'd be at Lissa's side before I would.

"Dimitri, do you mind if I go talk to Alberta?" Lissa asked, worry etched into her fragile-like features. "I want to talk to her about Rose."

I nodded and followed her and Eddie, who had been with Lissa when I met her at the feeders, toward Alberta's office. But before we could get half way there, Alberta came around the corner, looking in quite a hurry. I was immediately on alert when she saw me and sprinted toward us.

"Guardian Belikov." The urgency of her voice set me a little on edge. "The Guardians on duty at Victor's cell haven't checked in. All the other Guardians are taking care of protection detail. I need you to go check it out. I'll find other Guardians to send your way as soon as I can."

"Dimitri," Lissa suddenly said, worry in her voice again. "Rose…Rose might have gone down there this morning. That might be why she hasn't shown up yet."

Alberta looked from me to Lissa, and then back again. "Rose attack a fellow Guardian?"

I shook my head, though I was barely aware that I was doing it. Rose… Would she really do that? Or is she in trouble.

"I highly doubt Rose would do that, but there might be someone here. Someone that isn't welcome."

"I'll watch her," a voice came from behind Lissa. Eddie was standing and Guardian attention, looking ready for anything.

I held back a smile. He was like Rose and the complete opposite of her all at the same time.

"I'll watch Lissa and you look for Rose."

I was hesitant to accept his offer. I did want to find out where Rose was, but I also needed to stay focused on my duties. "You are not a Guardian, Castile. What if Lissa-"

"Lissa is fine," he interrupted, a hard look in her eye. "There's no danger here right now. We'll stay with Alberta and stick close. I may still be a student, but I know how to run when I need to."

Something Rose has yet to learn, I realized.

He was right. His logic was too sound; it would be stupid to argue. Lissa looked up at me with worried eyes, begging me to go.

Hesitantly, I nodded.

Alberta looked me in the eye. "Hurry to the dungeon cells; if she's there and in trouble, Dimitri…" She paused. I suddenly saw the motherly look in her eye that was ever present when she talked about Rose – in a nice way. I nodded again, promising to hurry.

I tore off down the halls as fast as I could, yelling for students and teachers alike to move out of the way. I cursed under my breath in Russian.

"Wait for me, Rose."

I turned the corner down the long staircase that lead to the holding cells. As I descended the stairs, I pictured Rose's body limp on the ground. I shook the thoughts away. As I grew closer, I could almost feel her spirit slipping away, and I couldn't think it was possible, because my Roza is strong. She had to be okay.

"Please be okay."

**End.**

**It was supposed to be a one-shot, but I'm thinking about adding at least one more chapter. I'm going to tell you if Rose lives or not, but I'll say she's as surprised as anyone about the ending result. Dimitri may save her in time, but that'll depend on what you guys think. I like the idea of her not pulling through and meeting up with Mason and others who have died. We'll see.**

**Thanks For Reading! R&R**

**-Aly**


	2. Chapter 2

**What if Dimitri didn't make it to Rose in time when she was attacked by Natalie? What if he got there too late and Rose breathed her last breath? For now. Go through what both Dimitri and Rose feel as she takes her last breath. Dimitri could have done one hundred things differently, but he knew he may already be too late to fix it all.**

**This is the second chapter to "What If" and I'm happy to say that it may go rather than just two chapters. Although, I only had one more chapter set up if it was needed, so writing a full-blow story is going to be tough. I'm always open to ideas if anyone wants to throw them out there. (:**

**I absolutely loved all the reviews I got so quickly after posting. You guys inspired me to stay up late that same night to write this one! I agree, it was missing something, and it could go farther than just this chapter alone. **

****THANK YOU: star, Carla, xxkatylouxx, Janine hathaway, louise95, Nikki1724, Elbie and Fearless, and LovinTheSun1996.****

**This one is about as long as the first, so don't expect anything special. Like I said, it was going to sum up the story and be a two-shot. So, once I get the creative juices flowing, it could be a lot more. Haha! I got a lot of reviews and comments that made my head spin, but you guys wanted more, so I'll give you more!**

**Anyway, I don't think I'll be taking much from the book. Probably tiny snippets because, remember, Rose pulls through perfectly fine in the book. Dimitri is probably going to seem a little OOC, but it'll be because he's watching the love of his life – as far as we know – dying. He's confused, angry, and sad all at the same time. Sure, he felt all that when Ivan was killed, but he never actually witnessed it happening. Just as a heads up…**

**All of what comes out of…whatever it is that comes next is all from me. (Minus the part where they talk about Victor's spell.) So, brace yourself. Haha! Well, I hope you like it, and that it's pretty much everything that you expected from a continuation that wasn't supposed to continue.**

**Dimitri's POV**

I don't know what I was expecting when I descended those last steps, but seeing a Strigoi on campus was outrageously _not_ okay on my watch. I immediately jumped into action, flinging my body silently at the monster trying to escape from the cage. That's when I noticed it was Victor's daughter, Natalie. Her face and skin in general was sickly pale, her lips tainted bright red. She snarled at me, poising her body to attack.

She may be fast, but so am I. She lunged for me, moving at the Strigoi speed I've come across countless times. However, the weight of Rose on my mind was almost exhausting. I hadn't forgotten that I was looking for her, but I knew I had to keep the people in this school safe.

Natalie managed to swipe her nails across my cheek, but thanks to my fast reflexes, that's all the danged she got on me. I finally pinned her to the wall with one arm, using all my body weight to hold her there, and then used my other hand to reach for my stake. Then it was all over. She let out a strained gurgle noise before her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she collapsed to the ground.

I stopped what I was doing to take a look at me surroundings and noticed that Victor was gone, which meant he'd escaped. For now.

Feeling a little desperate, I called Rose's name. "Rose! Are you here?"

I tiny groan came from behind me. I snapped around, and I swear to whatever God is up there I almost cried. There was Rose, her body battered and bruised, her mangled body a heap on the floor. Thick blood, which I presumed was hers, covered the ground around her. It didn't look like a lot from where I stood, but I wouldn't be sure until I hear what happened. I was frozen for a minute, that image from earlier on coming back to really bite me in the ass. I watched her body closely, looking for signed that showed this was all a sick, cruel joke. It wasn't. Rose really was on the verge of death.

I finally jumped back into my body and knelt beside her, carefully rolling her body over. Her face was extremely pale; she looked whiter than a ghost. I immediately noticed the puncher wound on her next. Putting two and two together, I realized Natalie had drank from her, and the only thing that stopped her was when she heard me coming. "Oh, Roza…" I sighed, putting as much pressure as I could on her wound.

Her eyes slowly cracked open. "Hey…Comrade…" I felt one of her hands grip the back of my arm, like she was literally holding on her life with little strength. "You were right about Strigoi." Then I felt the grip loosen and her hand slip completely. Then her eyes fluttered shut again.

I was so relieved to her hear voice, but knew she needed to get to the infirmary. "Rose. Roza. Open your eyes." I had never heard my own voice to strained before. That alone was frightening. "Don't go to sleep on me. Not yet."

I tried to slip my arms under her frail body, but couldn't without causing her pain. When I did get my arms under her, I could only pull her close, lifting her half on my lap. "I'm so sorry, Rose. I should have moved faster. A few seconds earlier and I could have…I could have…" I couldn't say it. I couldn't say 'saved your life' because it was too hard for me to believe that she was that far gone.

"Maybe…maybe this is my fate…" She actually smiled at the thought. I probably would have punched her if the impact wouldn't kill her.

"Please don't say that, Roza." I was already on the verge of teases. Thoughts like that were slowly killing me from the inside out. "Lissa might sense you're in trouble. Guardians are coming as we speak. We'll get you help." I cupped one hand gently around her blood stained cheek. "You just have to keep talking to me. Stay with me, okay?"

"You know as well as I do that's not how the bond works."

"Things can change," I all but yelled at her. I wasn't mad, but frustrated. Where were those Guardians Alberta was supposed to be sending? What was taking them so long? "Things are always changing. The bond can change, too. Maybe she won't be able to help it, just like you couldn't. Maybe it's something she'll learn to do." I could feel the double meaning hiding in my own, desperate words. And I knew Rose could, too. My view on what we could have might change. I could see her in a whole different light, not just as my student but someone I trust and…love.

"Was he right?" she suddenly asked in a voice just as strained as mine was, and yet somehow calmer.

I looked into her eyes, still trying to figure out a way to get her to help. "Who?"

"Victor… He said it couldn't have worked. The necklace." Her sentences were broken, it was hard for me to understand. I saw her drift away again and I prompted her back to consciousness.

"What do you mean?"

"The spell…Victor said you had to want me…to care about me…for it to work."

I didn't say anything. She was so right. I did want her, I still do. Though that want is now more driven toward he staying alive so I can continue to feel what I felt for her that night.

Her hand again reached up to weakly grip the front of my shirt. "Did you? Did you want me?"

My words came out thickly. "Yes, Roza. I did want you. I still do. I wish…we could be together."

"Then why did you lie to me?"

I then heard shouts that were distant from the path I came from. I shouted for them to come quickly, and to get the doctor. Rose pulled my attention back to her.

"Why did you lie?" she murmured again.

Still holding her in my arms, I looked down at her. "Because we can't be together. Our age is too different. I'm your mentor." They were stupid reasons, but I knew I couldn't get her hopes up. Not if she was coming out of this alive.

My fingertips gently wiped a tear from her eye. "But also…well, you and I will both be Lissa's guardians someday, I need to throw my body between them and her."

"I know that… Of course that's what you have to do." I could hear her voice getting weaker and weaker with each second that ticked by. I yelled again for someone to come, for a medical team to get here.

Then, like butter in my hands, she slipped away. Her body went completely limp, her eyes still partly open from looking into my own eyes. That loving gaze faded from her eyes; now they looked…lifeless. I shook her lightly. "Rose…Roza." No, no, no, no. This was not happening. "Roza, stay with me. Don't die on me, Rose!"

Nothing. I got nothing in response.

"Rosemarie Hathaway…" I couldn't stop the words from leaving my mouth. She had to know. "I love you. I love you attitude, you outlook on life, and you caring character that shows in your training. I don't just want you, Roza, I _need_ you to be here. I can't live on my own without you somewhere in this world with me. Please… _Please_ don't leave… Lissa needs you. And Eddie. And all you friends. We need you to be here with us, Roza… Please."

Despite my pleading, she never woke up. She didn't look into my eyes to say she loved me back. In fact, I wouldn't have cared if she had said it back at all, just as long as she was alive and healthy. But I was too late after all.

She was gone.

Heartbroken, I reached up with a surprisingly shaky hand and closed her eye lids gently. I couldn't stand to see those loving brown eyes, because like they say, "The eyes are the window to the soul." With her soul gone, it was like an insult to gaze into them.

I heard a strained gasp from behind me. I barley lifted my head to see Alberta and Eddie standing in the door of the cell. The first thing they must have seen was Natalie's body. Their eyes were now, however, focused solely on me and my Roza.

"I…" I tried to start but first cleared my throat of any stuttering or cracks. "I…was too late. I'm sorry… Natalie turned…and I got here too late."

"Oh, Rose…" Alberta collapsed to her knees.

Eddie continued to stare wide eyed at me. There were a few Guardians, all of whom I recognized, which made this experience that much worse.

Eddie moved closer, as if he was trying to make sense of everything. Keeping my voice firm I looked up at him. "Where's Lissa?"

He seemed to snap out of his daze. "She…She's on her way with the medical team." He let out a shaky sigh, closing his eyes. "I guess we were all a little too late."

Deciding this was no place to stay, I slowly gathered Rose's limp body in my arms, cradling her bridal style against my chest. I now towered over Eddie, but his eyes never left Rose.

I walked across the cell to sit on Victor's now vacant make-shift bed. Eddie didn't move, but stepped aside for the Guardians to scout the area. They looked over Natalie's body, also taking time to examine the blood stains on various parts of the walls.

By now, Alberta dragged herself from her knees, whipped her tears, and moved toward where Lissa would be coming in. Several minutes ticked by and no one had said a word. No one knew exactly what to say. Everyone here knew Rose, there was no doubt about that. She may not have completed her training, but she was a fellow fallen Guardian nonetheless. Eddie had at one point finally come closer and knelt down in front of Rose and me. His eyes strained hard, as if trying to coax her to wake up. Then he lifted her limp hand to his lips and very gently kissed it; his way of saying good-bye.

It wasn't long after that we heard footsteps, and Lissa's voice prompting everyone with her to hurry. I also heard Alberta trying to consult the young Dragomir Princess from coming closer. The medical team, however, were let through, but didn't get far when they saw who was in my arms. They stopped, completely shocked. Alberta must have failed to keep Lissa at bay, because soon she was at the door, before she could get a glimpse at Rose, Eddie was there, blocking her view.

His voice was steading and firm, trying to show he meant business. "Liss, you can't be in here. Please… Go back to your room where it's safe."

"What happened down here? Where's Rose? Is she okay?"

That's where Eddie faltered. Without another word, Lissa slipped by him and headed right for me.

With the way I was hold rose, her head was resting neatly on my shoulder, one of her arms hanging loose and the other resting in her lap. It almost looked like she resting comfortably in my lap. So it was almost ironic for Lissa to smile warily.

"Rose, are you okay? You had me so worried."

Everyone stopped what they were doing and watched. Lissa's face changed when she didn't get a response. I closed my eyes from a moment, and then opened them again. "Lissa-"

But she wouldn't let me finish. "Rose, wake up." She shook her shoulder, and of course didn't get a response. Her frantic gaze met mine, begging for answers.

"Lissa," I started again, "I'm sorry. I got here to late… She's…gone."

I watched her eyes pool with tears. "Wh…what?" her breathing was already heavy, tears now free falling past her cheeks. "Rose…Rose can't be…"

"Lissa, let's go sit down," Eddie said gently from behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders to steer her away.

She shook him off, practically launching herself at me, cradling her head in Rose's lap. "Rose…! You can't be dead! You are my best friend, my sister! You were there her me when I needed you… You knew exactly how to keep me sane. You were supposed to be a Guardian, Rose, to protect me! To always be my friend!"

"She did protect you, Lissa," Eddie said, Coming behind her again, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "She was fighting to keep you safe. You know that's all she ever wanted. That's all the rest of us want. She did her duty. It…It may not be the outcome we were expecting, but she fought for you right down to the bitter end." Her watery eyes now looked up at Eddie, and then traveled to mine, as if looking for confirmation. I nodded, trying to smile reassuringly.

Then her eyes were on Rose's blank face. "That may be true, Rose, but I can't stand the thought of losing you again. I just got you back. You have to come back to us, Rose. _Please_…we need you."

Then I realized her hands were glowing a brilliant yellow, and that she was trying to heal her. Seconds went by and we all watched; waiting to see what would happen. I tried not to get my hopes up, because I had no idea how this healing process worked. I didn't know the first basic thing about magic itself.

Lissa's face fell more than it had a few seconds ago. "I…I can't…" She words got caught up in her throat. "I can't focus on her. She's there, I can feel her! Why can't I focus!" Her voice grew louder until it echoed loudly off the walls around us, the frustration coming through crisp and clear.

I caught a glance from Alberta, telling me she wanted to talk. I stood slowly, and motioned for Lissa to sit in my place. She did. I then placed Rose's body across Lissa's , her head placed neatly in her lap. Lissa seemed to cling to Rose, as if she might drop her if she was too far away. I bent down in front of her so we were at eye level. At such a close range, I was hoping she couldn't see the battle I was raging inside to keep my tears at bay.

"From what I can tell she has three cracked ribs – possibly broken – and a dislocated shoulder. And a possible concussion." I pattered her shoulder gently. "Start there. And Lissa, if you can't…" I couldn't finish the sentence, but knew I probably didn't have to. "You should know that she wasn't afraid to die. She was strong till the very end."

Lissa only nodded very slowly, probably at a complete loss of words. I stood and walked out of the cell with Alberta; Eddie sat promptly next to Lissa, trying to comfort her with soothing words. The head of the Guardians here at the Academy didn't say anything for a minute or so, just staring into my eyes, trying to find the words.

Finally she spoke. "I was just informed Victor was caught before he reached the gates. He's being held in my office with four Guardians watching him."

I nodded, being a little better that he was caught for his crime; another crime he will surely go to court for.

"I've also notified the Court what has happened. They should be here tomorrow morning – human time." Sadness fill her features again. "I will also be contacting Janine Hathaway to notifiy her of Rose's…situation. They haven't spoken in years, so I'm not sure how things will go after that."

I just nodded. "What will happen with Lissa?"

"Well, you are her official Guardian, and she already trusts you. So, I don't see a reason to change anything."

All I could do was nod. I was worried Lissa would hate me for what happened. If I hadn't take so long to get there, Rose would still be alive. I would have done one hundred things differed with Rose, but how could I? I knew I had to put me duty first and—

"Dimitri!" It was Lissa.

Immediately, I snapped around and sprinted through the door, all of my senses on high alert. I looked around the cell for any danger that I might have missed. A million things past through my mind, trying to figure out what could have happened. There's no way Strigoi got in, not past our guards. Then I realized that Natalie was hiding among us – there's no tell how many other are around here.

"Dimitri… Look." Lissa pulled me from my thoughts and confusion. Her voice had softened from surprise and fear to plain astonishment. My eyes were on Lissa for a moment, but she wasn't looking at me. Neither was Eddie or any of the other Guardians. All eyes were on Rose. When my gaze landed on her, I couldn't believe what I was seeing…

**End**

**I thought maybe ending the story on a cliffhanger, but I could go a bit more if you guys would like. Is Rose alive, or dead? I think I'm going to leave that up to your creative, twisted minds, haha. But I think it's got potential for a little more.**

**I can't see this story going too far into the books, but maybe another chapter or two. It really depends on how much I want to draw out how they all cope with the change that happened in their lives. If there is another chapter, it should be up in a week's time. No more, no less. **

**Thanks For Reading! R&R**

**-Aly**


	3. Chapter 3

**What if Dimitri didn't make it to Rose in time when she was attacked by Natalie? What if he got there too late and Rose breathed her last breath? For now. Go through what both Dimitri and Rose feel as she takes her last breath. Dimitri could have done one hundred things differently, but he knew he may already be too late to fix it all.**

**Well, you guys begged for it, so here it is. Yet another Chapter of **_**What If**_**. In this chapter, I have a surprise: my solution to whether Rose dies or lives. If you guys don't like it, I can replace this one with a different ending and continue, but I think this was kind of like my somewhere-in-between solution. **

**I need to make another round of shout-outs to all of those who reviewed the story in general: **

**THANK YOU: star, Carla, xxkatylouxx, Janine hathaway, louise95, Nikki1724, Elbie and Fearless, LovinTheSun1996, Celly731, Naridai Belikova, FrostbittenRose, OzeraGirl, lori9048, obsessed53, Answer-the-door, evilneevil, and MorganvilleRoza, .**

**Also thank you to those who favorited (not even a real word) and followed the story! Everything about your encouragement to continue writing is greatly appreciated. I thank you all very much. (:**

**Without further ado, here's the concluding chapter to **_**What If**_**:**

**Dimitri's POV**

It's been two and a half months.

One hell of a long time.

How have I stayed sane throughout this whole…ordeal? Rose. She has been talking to me, keeping me level with my own insanity. I can't stand to see her this way, not when there's nothing I could do about it. Eddie and Lissa are copping as well. He is now graduated, and so is Lissa. At first she wanted to attend a human College and go out into the world, start a life. But she refused to go without Rose. Eddie is always by Lissa's side – as her first official Guardian (upon request) so am I. Lissa has been patient with the Court's decision, but she's made it clear she will not hold on to that patience for much longer.

Today, we were visiting Rose for her birthday. It was a couple of weeks prior, but she wasn't here at Court at the time, so we never got the chance to see her. I was actually excited to see her today, though that shouldn't undermine how I feel every time we visit her. A Guardian should never show their emotions, and up until three months ago, I had mastered that technique. Up until three months ago, I didn't know Rose. In that short amount of time I had fallen for her – her attitude, her personality, her love for protecting those she loves, her long flowing hair – everything.

Lissa advised us to wear something nice, but to keep it close to our Guardian attire. The Princess herself was wearing a nice purple undress, complete with a nice flowing skirt and inched heels. She was carrying a small box wrapped in dark blue wrapping paper. Her shoes clicked with determination and power as we made our way to Rose's cell.

Eddie was wearing a pair of black dress pants, which we tailored perfectly down to his heels. His sleek black dress shoes were sporting the same tempo as Lissa's, showing just as much determination as her steps. His navy blue dress shirt was buttoned up, all except the last button. This was probably due to the fact that the last time his shirt was buttoned up all the way, Rose commented that he looked more like a butler than a 'kick-ass Guardian'. In one hand, he held a small green bag with tissue paper pouring out the top. In the other, he held a small pink rose. I knew as much as any of us did that Rose didn't like presents that had to do with the nature of her name, but I'm sure he was hoping she'd take it anyway.

I was wearing black dress pants as well. Lissa refused to let me wear my black boots, saying I would look like I was there to step on her, rather than to congratulate her on turning eighteen. So, instead, my shoes were much like Eddie's, though my steps showed eagerness to get to Rose. My shirt was a button down like Eddie's, but instead of navy, mine was a dark brown color, and my sleeves were rolled up to my elbows. In my hand I was holding Rose's present from me, wrapped neatly in red and purple paper. It was something Ivan had given to me to read before I left his side on another mission all those years ago.

"We're here to see Rose," Lissa said to the Guard standing post. He was here almost every time Lissa came to visit, and he should know by now that where ever Lissa goes, her Guardians will oblige and follow.

"Yes, Princess." He glanced at the gifts in our hands. "You should know, Princess, that the prisoner will be moved later in the day."

Lissa's eye flashed to the guard. "Where?"

He hesitated to answer, looking around for someone to back him up. He glanced at Eddie and I; he should also know by now he wasn't going to get any help from us.

"Where?" she asked again, a touch of darkness in her voice. I couldn't tell if she was compelling him or not, but he answered with (yet again) some fair hesitation.

"She…she's being moved to the Palm Springs prison."

Eddie and I exchanged a look. Palm Springs was reserved for the prisoners that would spend as many as thirty years to life in a cell.

She thanked him and we moved on. We slowly walked down toward her cell. One left turn… One right turn… Down one flight of stairs… Another right… Another left.

Upon approaching the cell, my heart started to heave. It's been a week since our last visit. Every time they take Rose away it's to do some kind of testing on her. It's always something different. And yet, Rose doesn't say a word about it. She doesn't seem to care that they're poking and probing her for their own personal gain. It's sickening.

Finally, we stepped in front of Rose's cell. There were two Guardians standing watch.

Lissa nodded toward them and they left, knowing that Eddie and I would replace their watch. Once they were around the corner and gone, we stepped closer.

It was dark and quiet except for our own breathing. Rose was huddled in the corner of her bed, her knees drawn tight toward her chest and her head down, making her beautiful brown hair flow nicely around her.

Lissa was the first to speak. "Rose…" Rose didn't move. "We came to visit."

Rose tilted her head, but her eyes and most of her body were hidden in the dark shadows and the white baggy clothes she wore.

"And we brought presents!" Eddie announced, putting on a goofy smile and raising her hands to show what he had.

Finally, she stood, but kept her body in the dark part of her cell. "I told you guys to not bother. They'll take them from me soon enough."

Lissa's jade green eyes flashed a bit of sadness. Then shepressed her body up against the cell door, wrapped on hand around one cell bar, and then extended her other arm out into Rose's cell, twisting the gift so it could fit through. "Come on, Rose. It's your eighteenth birthday. We had to get you something. I promise it didn't cost me anything. The only thing I had to buy was the wrapping paper, I swear." Her voice was pleading with Rose. "Please, Rose. For me?"

Taking a deep breath, Rose stepped out into the light, showing off her tanned skin that stood out against the white clothing they made her wear. She stood just in front of Lissa's present smiled widely, and they took it gently and slowly from her. "You know I can never resit you. Thank you, Liss. You're the best friend I could ever ask for."

Standing at the opposite end of the hall from Rose's cell, I took far-guard, keeping close with farther away from Lissa. I couldn't quite see Rose's face, but she looked happy to see her. Again, slowly, Rose started tearing away the paper around the small box. Lissa took the paper from her and crumpled it in her hand. Opening the box was another slow process, but when it was open, I could almost feel surprise radiate from Rose.

"Lissa…this is beautiful! How did you not spend a fortune on this?"

"It has the Dragomir crescent on it. It was my father's Guardian's. And now it's yours."

Rose's head snapped up from gazing at the jewelry. "Liss… I can't accept this. It needs to go to one of your Guardians, not me." She extended her arm for Lissa to take it back. Lissa shook her head.

"You were always my Guardian, Rose whether they liked it or not. You were the one that protected me when we living among the humans, you were the one who protected me from Victor, and you were the one who saved the whole school from Natalie." Rose cringed at the memory. So did I. "Just keep it as a…reminder of your passion to keeping me safe."

With a moment of pause, Rose nodded. Then Eddie stepped forward. "Just a little something I thought you'd like," he said as he hands the small bag to her. "And a little decoration for you room. Plus, it smells. Some floral scent is desperately needed."

Rose laughed, that beautiful jingle making my heart squeeze. "Thanks, Ed." She put the rose and Lissa's present on her bed, and then proceeds to open Eddie's gift. Just as she's tearing the paper away, a new voice sounds from down the hall.

"I can't believe you started the party without me!"

Adrian Ivanshkov strides down the corridor, a slight wobble to his step. Not surprisingly, he had a bottle of whiskey in one hand and a gift in the other.

Lissa smiles. "Adrian! I didn't think you'd be at Court. I thought you were visiting Tatiana in Mossoc."

He made it over to us and shrugged. "She'll live another day without me. Besides, I can't forget about my Little Dhampir's big eighteenth birthday."

We all froze when he said that. Although it hit kind of a soft spot, we all knew he was only joking. But still if he keeps calling Rose 'his' in any way, shape, of form of the meaning, I might lose my resolve and knock him out.

"Adrian, please tell me you're not just here to ruin my day." Rose sounded annoyed, but I could tell she was happy to see another friendly face.

He made a pouty face. "I thought my presence was present enough."

"And is that gift in your hand for yourself?" Eddie points out.

"Yes, actually. It's for me to see the look on Rose's face when she opens it." He reaches through the bars and hands it to Rose. "I'd actually like for you to wait to open it." She nodded and put it with the others she already opened.

I gave him a curious glance, which he caught. The look he gave back told me he'd tell me later. I was slightly worried is to what other bad influence he was giving Rose. It's bad enough she occasionally gave herself a soured reputation.

"Just open my gift already!" Eddie whined. He glanced over his shoulder at me and then winced when he seen my eyes on him. I raised a brow at his not-so-Guardian behavior, but shrugged it off.

"Okay, okay! Keep your panties on," Rose said, hurrying to oblige and finish opening the present.

Paper gone, she holds up a small note book with a red and blue floral design in the corner of the front cover, as well as a green click-y pen. When she looks at him in question, he says, "It's so you can write your love letters to Belikov." He jerks his thumb in my direction. I then repress the urge to smack him upside the head.

Rose shook her head. "I swear, your ideas of comedy are getting lamer and lamer."

I shook my head, too. The…incident between Rose and I was kept amongst the six of us – Rose, Adrian, Lissa, Eddie, Christian and I. Lissa was at first upset that Rose hadn't told her sooner. She didn't stay mad long when Rose was scheduled to be put to death. All of this happened within 24 hours of finding out that she was in fact alive. Eddie seemed unfazed by the news. He had said that he kind of suspected just by the fact that we've trained for this long and hadn't wrung each other's throats yet. Christian cracked a few jokes, but he never seemed to have a problem with it. Adrian seemed… Well, he seemed pissed that Rose was in love with me instead of him. I knew he had a crush on her, but never chose to look too far into it. He seems to be dealing with what we feel for each other, but it's also clear that he doesn't like it.

Eddie backed away from the cell door to stand next to me farther behind Lissa; her, Rose, and Adrian launched into a full blown conversation about how Lissa and Christian's relationship is going.

"Dimitri." I turned to Eddie. "You need to talk to her. She looked eager to get to you present."

I sighed. "I want to talk to her, I do. But not with Adrian here; I can tell he is already uncomfortable with the idea of Rose and I being an item."

Eddie nodded. "I gotchya covered there. But…can I ask you a serious question?" I nodded and waited for him to continue. "How are we going to get her out of here? I mean, it's not fair to keep her in there. She hasn't threatened anyone. She does their stupid tests without complaint; what else are they expecting from her?"

"They're waiting for her to kill someone," I answered almost automatically, having thought about the same topic myself. "They're waiting for her to give them a reason to kill her on the spot, rather than waiting for proof like Lissa asked."

Eddie shook his head in dismay. "If it wasn't for Lissa taking the thrown soon, Rose might not…" He paused. "Well, all that fighting we did for Rose two months ago would be for nothing, and they won't let Lissa save her this time."

Tatiana announced not long after Rose's incident that she has an aggressive cancer, one that they caught too late to treat. Fearing the future of her race, she needed someone who would be able to take over when she's gone. Lissa, being the last known Dragomir, was the appropriate choice to put on the thrown. The Queen has already handed over parts of her reserved rights to have control over all others, and Lissa shows no mercy when it comes to keeping Rose safe.

I resisted the urge to cry, thinking about Rose slipping away yet again. "I know. We have a lot to thank her for. And to the Queen as well."

Eddie nodded this time. "Yeah…" He was quiet for another minute, thinking about something. "I'll get Adrian out of your hair. You talk to Rose. She seems to be the only one keeping you sane." He winked at me and then turned away; turned toward Lissa.

"Liss," he said softly, his Guardian mask back on. She turned her head toward him, her body still in the way of a good view of Rose. "We have a meeting with your new advisers about taking the thrown in an hour. I think it best to cut this visit short."

Her face fell. "What about Rose? We can't leave her here alone; we barely get to see her as it is."

He motioned to me. "Guardian Belikov has agreed to escort Rose to Palm Springs later tonight, and will be her Guard all night until she leaves and lands." He winked at her then, trying to get her to see where he was going with this.

After a momentary pause, a look of realization flashed across her face. She nodded. "You're right." She turned to Rose and hugged her tight, thought the cell bars made it look a little uncomfortable. "I'll be with on your flight to Palm Springs."

They broke apart. "How?" Rose asked.

"I'll pull a few strings. I have more power now with Tatiana's up-coming retirement. I'm going to be Queen, after all." She giggled a little, making me wonder what devilish thoughts were going on in her head. I realized then just how her and Rose were so alike but so different at the same time.

Eddie then turned toward Adrian. "As for you, your advisers have yet to meet you, so I'd advise going to that meeting. It starts in ten minutes." I'm not sure if Adrian noticed, but Eddie not once glanced at his wrist to check the time; let alone that fact that he wasn't wearing one.

Adrian sighed. "I hate politics, and yet I surround myself in it." His eyes locked on Rose, and 'blew her a kiss'. "Until next time, Rosie."

Before he started walking after Adrian and Lissa, Eddie purposely – yet made it look like an accident – dropped a piece of paper on the ground. I bent over my shoe, making it look like I was going to tie it, picked up the paper, and stood again. _I'll read what it says after I talk with Roza,_ I decided.

And with that, they all walked – well, Adrian stumbled – back down the hall the way we came.

Now, it was just Rose and I until she was to be moved. We watched the others leave; I was silently thanking Eddie for the Adrian-distraction, greatful that he has an amazing memory and could recall the meetings they had to attend. Turning again to Rose's cell, I noticed she had backed away into the cell, her back to me. She was fiddling with the gifts she had just received, moving them from the middle of the bed to the pillow, arranging them neatly.

When she was done, I thought I'd try communicating. "Roza-"

"I'm scared, Dimitri." Her voice shook, which took me by surprise, because I've never heard a level of fear this great come from Rose. "I don't want to die, not like… like this." She gestured to herself then forced her hands into tight fists. "I can't take the fact that I could…kill someone; that losing my resolve could get even you killed. I can't trust myself, Dimitri. So…I don't want you guys around anymore. You can't keep coming down here."

I stepped closer, putting myself inches from the cage. My Guardian mask was locked in place, but I wasn't sure how long I could hold it there. "Rose, you need to understand something: I don't care." Her fist loosened slightly upon hearing my words. I continued: "I don't care if you feel you are a throat. I don't care if I die protecting you and Lissa from anything dangerous. I don't care if they strip me of my Guardian duties because I'm in love with you They can take every aspect of my life away, Roza, but they could never take you." It was faster than I'd ever seen a person move, even as a Strigoi, but she was across the cell and face to face with me in the blink of an eye – literally.

Her eyes, those same beautiful chocolate brown orbs, with just one exception: the red ring around her irises. Her movement, nor her eyes, startled me in the slightest. I had grown accustom to Rose's new body, and was amazed by how she adjusted her speed and other movements to make it seem like her old self.

"I am a monster, Dimitri, a _monster_! I'm the very thing I fought to protect Moroi from – to protect Lissa from. I may not crave blood now, but I can feel that evil lurking inside, waiting for a way out. That darker side – she's down there somewhere. I fear for your life – for Lissa's – every time I lay my eye on you. Just the scent of fresh blood could propel my body at your neck and it would be too late." A tear fell down her cheek. "I'm a real freak of nature, but you love me, regardless of the truth. I don't know how I still have my sanity, but…" She reached through the bars for the first time today and grabbed my hand. "I'm willing to fight for it if it means I'll get to be wrapped up in your arms again, even if it's just one last time."

I smiled my special smile for her, getting lost in those new yet familiar eyes. I brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "You could never scare me away, my Milaya. We will pull through." I reached into my pocket and grabbed that note from Eddie. I held it up for her to see. "And our friends are helping us out of here. Together."

**End**

**Well, don't shoot me or anything! I swear, it'll get better. **

**I really like this version, and I hope you guys do, too. I put a lot of thought into it, so don't shook it down just yet. As promised, this story will end with this chapter. And if it's a hit, there will be a much longer sequel. If it's a dud…well, I don't know. But I'll figure out a real plan once I know what you guys thought of my secret idea. **

**Well, you guys know the drill. Let me know hat you think, and get back to me on it. **

**Thanks For Reading! R&R**

**-Aly**


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